The model-view-controller (MVC) architecture is a well-known UI technology. In the MVC architecture, user input, modeling of the external world, and visual feedback to the user are separated and handled by view, model, and controller objects (which are referred to herein simply as views, models and controllers). The controller interprets mouse and keyboard inputs from the user, and maps these user actions to commands that are sent to the model and/or view to effect appropriate changes. The model manages one or more data elements, responds to queries about its state, and responds to instructions to change state. The view manages an area of the display and is responsible for presenting data to the user through a combination of elements, such as graphics, text and controls.
One particularly useful UI technology implementing the MVC architecture is Web Dynpro for global advanced business application programming (ABAP) (hereinafter referred to simply as “Web Dynpro”), which is a proprietary UI technology from SAP® AG of Walldorf, Germany. Businesses that use Web Dynpro for some applications may also, at the same time, use other UI technologies, such as Business Server Pages (BSP), for their other applications. As a result, some applications run by those businesses may have a drastically different look-and-feel from other applications run by those businesses. This can be inconvenient for users. Also, different UI technologies may require different support. Accordingly, some businesses have taken to converting all of their applications to a single UI technology.